A Stitch in Haste

Here is what he said:

But many of you have also come up to me and said, "Barr, why did you offer the Defense of Marriage Act? If you're so set against the Patriot Act, why did you vote for it?"

Well, let me tell you. I have made mistakes. But the only way you make mistakes, the only way you get things done is by getting out there in the arena and making those mistakes, and then realizing as things go on the mistakes that you've made.

And I apologize for that. For example, as I mentioned to you all last night with the Defense of Marriage Act. As I mentioned to you all last night and I reiterate it here today, standing before you and looking you in the eye: the Defense of Marriage Act — insofar as it provided the federal government a club to club down the rights of law-abiding American citizens — has been abused, misused and should be repealed. And I will work to repeal that.

Here is what I say:

Barr's mea culpa rings quite hollow.

Making a mistake is better than doing nothing in the first place? In the context of issues such as DOMA and the Patriot Act? Is he serious?

And to make matters worse, he says this to a crowd of self-appointed libertarian standard-bearer purists and gets — applause?

I recently called the Big-L Libertarian Party a "freak show" — and I stand by that description.

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Barr also said in that clip that DOMA is being "abused and misused."

Um, "abused and misused" — how?

I know of no instance — none whatsoever — where DOMA has been "abused and misused." It has been, and will continue to be, used exactly the way Barr originally intended: to discriminate against gays and to legitimize anti-gay bigotry.

Please do not mistake this microphone-addicted conservative has-been for a "libertarian."

More thoughts at Republic of T., Box Turtle Bulletin, Outright Libertarians.